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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28439577">permanent injuries</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaofAza/pseuds/AnnaofAza'>AnnaofAza</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coda, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Post-Season/Series 07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:07:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,021</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28439577</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaofAza/pseuds/AnnaofAza</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Shiro had been the one to always refuse visitors in the hospital, never wanting his parents, his grandpa, Adam, Sam to see him fighting so hard to live. </i>
</p><p><i>Now, he's the one waiting, fingers pressed against his lips, praying Keith won't leave him.</i> </p><p>After his speech, Shiro visits Keith in the hospital.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith/Shiro (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>122</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>permanent injuries</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/avidbeader/gifts">avidbeader</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Shiro walks into the room, Keith’s propped up on a mountain of pillows, a swath of bandages winding around his head, watching a newsfeed playing clips of the day’s memorial. They keep repeating: the lions standing triumphant near the stage, the various plaques of those lost, close-ups of mourners and bouquets clutched tightly in their hands. At the bottom of the screen is an endless scroll, white letters spelling out names and tributes.</p><p>Shiro’s happy to see the absence of tubes and needles and beeping machines in the room, along with a half-finished tray of food. He remembers Keith lying still and silent, weight heavy in his arms, blood—too much—soaking his uniform. He had tossed the jacket off in a corner of his room when Keith had been wheeled to surgery, refusing to look at the darkening stain, yet afraid to throw it away. He wished he could have been in the room when doctors were working. Shiro had been the one to always refuse visitors in the hospital, never wanting his parents, his grandpa, Adam, Sam to see him fighting so hard to live. </p><p>Now, he's the one waiting, fingers pressed against his lips, praying Keith won't leave him.  </p><p>Keith looks up, and his face lights up and a hand reaches for the remote, shutting the TV off. His fingers are no longer wrapped up, Shiro notices, and he's actually been able to change out of the paper-thin hospital gown. </p><p>“Good speech,” Keith says, throat rough, as Shiro takes the plastic chair beside his bed.  </p><p>"I'm glad one of us thinks so," Shiro replies, half-joking. He’d written it by the seat of his pants, between bedside visits with the Paladins and general cleaning up, particularly with how to handle Admiral Sanda in the memorial. In the end, the Garrison decided to not strip her of her rank postmortem and the Paladins—minus Keith, who was going through surgery—voted to at least have her picture among the flowers and plaques.</p><p><em>She did try to save Earth, in her own way,</em> Lance said, which had been remarkably mature of him. Shiro wonders how Keith might have voted, how much his capacity of forgiveness extends, how much someone deserves. </p><p>He looks at the scar on Keith's cheek, as clean as butter cut with a knife, guilt pressing in his chest. </p><p>Keith doesn't seem to notice. "I'm happy you're all right," he says. </p><p>Surprised, Shiro barks out a laugh. "I should be saying that to you. You're the one who..." And his joke dies in his throat. His gallows humor is no longer quite so funny when it applies to someone else. </p><p>"Could have been worse," Keith says practically. Shiro knows that's the truth; Keith had scars on his body long before going into space. <em>And he has more that come from you, </em>something hisses in his head.</p><p>"...you had a number done on you, too, Shiro. Sam filled me in." </p><p>"Well..." Truth be told, he hasn’t really thought about it; the doctors had mostly skimmed him and let him go. (Which, he thinks, is sort of a nice change.)</p><p>"And having to fight Sendak after all of that? You really don't make it easy on yourself."</p><p>Shiro laughs again. "That's me." </p><p>Keith smiles, then sinks deeper into his pillows. "I'm waiting to feel bad,” he suddenly says, “but I don't." </p><p>"About what?" </p><p>"Sendak."  </p><p>That's unexpected. But before Shiro can ask, Keith keeps going.</p><p>"I've killed," he says. "With the Blades. Kolivan just told me early on in the Blades taking a life is hard, but sometimes necessary one. And then, you know, I just didn't want to push it."</p><p>"That's not too helpful," Shiro quips. </p><p>"No," Keith says. "There's no therapy in space." His voice is slurring, either from exhaustion or leftover drugs; his eyes are definitely starting to close. "Probably could have used it. Everyone. Free for all." </p><p>"I guess it wouldn't have hurt," Shiro says mildly. "Still, I think that advice better than what I could have done, dealing with..." <em>With killing. </em>"I don't think we ever talked about taking a life, as Paladins. But I hope the Blades—"</p><p>"The Blades." Keith scoffs. "I would have killed for you long before I knew about them." </p><p>There's a long pause. Shiro sees Sendak, standing over him, then a blade, slicing through his body, a clean kill, Keith's eyes wild—not yellow, not with lidded pupils, <em>when has he seen that?</em></p><p>"I know I'm not supposed to say that," Keith quickly admits. "Everyone deserves a second chance, and murder isn't the first solution. But it's true."</p><p>Shiro's honestly not sure what he should say to that. "Sendak... deserved to go." </p><p>"He hurt you. He tortured you personally. I saw it on your face when he first called the Castle. You were afraid." Keith's drifting off, but his voice has determination in every syllable. </p><p>"Yes," Shiro says simply. He wants to say that he feared for the people he suddenly had to lead, for Keith, and he did—but most of it was the simple dread of what could happen to him. </p><p>He didn't know at that point if he could take any more, but knew he'd fight so he wouldn't have to. </p><p>"I'm glad he didn't get a chance to take you from me," Keith says. "The Empire, Haggar, the universe already took so much, and you—I'm glad I didn't lose you." </p><p>He feels an iron grip, so tightly that his fingers ache, arm stretching out of its socket. Hears a sickening swing of metal, a crunch on hard ground, groans of machinery tearing itself apart.  </p><p>But when he looks down, Keith's hand is laying limp against his side, pale against starched sheets. </p><p>He reaches for Keith's hand and squeezes it. "I'm glad I didn't lose you, too." </p><p>Keith's already asleep, but Shiro doesn't care. He squeezes Keith's hand again, the remnants of an ache gathering in the back of his head, searing heat in his right arm, nothing as he kicks his legs, but knowing Keith would never let him go, even if it could saved him. </p>
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